UZoom Media's Online Marketing Blog

Web Design Should be Love at First Site

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Do you care what other people think of you? I mean, REALLY care? What about your business?

On a personal level, many people don’t really care about what others think of them. That could lead to quite a philosophical discussion. But if you own a business, you better. It’s called brand management, and it’s imperative to the success of your business.

Would you leave sales signs up in your storefront two weeks after the sale had ended? Would you leave a broken display in the front window for all to see? Would you hang up on a potential customer that called your store for information? Of course you wouldn’t.

But this is exactly what many business owners are doing—with their online storefront. How many times have you been to a website with outdated information blinking on the home page? How about broken images or links? Or even just a website design that is obviously old and difficult to navigate? If your website is not up to date and easy to use, you are losing business!

Just like a billboard, you have 3 seconds to impress your audience. The beauty of a website is that if you impress your visitor and give them a reason to stay, your site can actually convert your visitors into leads and your leads into customers. This is the holy grail of online marketing. In order to do this, keep it simple, but make sure you include the following:

1. Contact information is easy to find and easy to use. A contact form that goes directly into an email that is seen and responded to quickly is the best practice.
2. Your location is evident. If you have an actual storefront, include a map, or even better, a “get directions” widget.
3. All information on your site should be easy to find with only 3 clicks. Yes, 3 clicks. People are impatient. You won’t get a second chance.
4. If you are selling something directly from your site, it should be on the home page, and the buying process should be effortless. Give as much information as possible in the least amount of space.
5. Use some up to date graphics with people in them. Most people don’t care about your company, they care about what your company, products, or services can do for them. Use images that elicit positive emotions surrounding your brand.

You only have one chance to make a first impression. Make sure it’s not wasted with poor web design.

Check out some of these beautiful first impressions, brought to you by UZoom Media!